Mask for aviation or clinical purposes



June 29, 1943. v A. H. BULBULIAN 2,323,199

MASK FOR AVIATION 0R CLINICAL PURPOSES Filed on. m. 1941 I K Inner-(b 91- Piaf? .H.Bu bulman- Patented June 29, 1943 UNITE STATES FATENT' OFFICE MASK FOR Aggggggl CLINICAL Arthur 1!. Bulbuilan, Rochester, mm.

Application mm 1:, 1911, Serial No. 415.538 2 Claims. (01. 128-144) My invention relates to self-sealing masks for aviation or clinical purposes, and has for its ob- Ject to provide a mask structure for application to the face of a wearer to form a breathing chamber sealed from outside atmosphere wherein special means are provided for sealing the mask at the sides of the nose where the same form the angle with the face.

Masks have been developed for both clinical and aviation p rposes to be worn over the face, which are so shaped that a breathing chamber is formed between the face and the body of the mask Such a breathing chamber may enclose both the mouth and nose or the 'nose only. The masks are ordinarily made of semi-rigid material, such as vulcanized rubber. For such masks ordinarily oxygen is delivered to the breathing chamber and it is important to have complete sealing of the margins of the mask upon the face of the wearer. In this connection a serious difll culty has been encountered in producing a full sealing at the sides of the nose adjacent the point wherethe sharp angle occurs between the sides of the nose and the body of the face. Be-

cause of the fact that no two people have quite tion of the mask itself, preferably by being imbedded in the body of material making up the mask, with inwardly disposed spring arms extending toward the edge of the nose-receiving part of the mask at the sides and toward the angular junction of the side walls of the nose and the cheeks, it will certainly seat the mask body v into that angle to produce effective and complete sealing with any type of face.

It is a principal object of my invention, therefore, to provide a mask structure wherein there are anchored directly upon the top of the nosereceiving part of the mask and extending from that point along the sides of the nose-receiving the anchoring means as an arch-like body over the nose-receiving portion of the mask at a point somewhat inwardly from the margins thereof. and to have connected with the ends of said arch a-pair of spring members adaptedto cause the mask body to engage the, sides of the nose at the Junction angle thereof with the adjacent parts of the face.

It is a further object of my invention to provide oil-set fingers to the spring arms aforesaid such that the ends of said fingers will tend to force the mask body against the sides of the nose at the points of junction with the adjacent parts of the face.

It is a further object of my invention to imbed the spring means aforesaid in the substance making up the body of the mask.

' It is a further object of my invention to provide adjacent the margins of the mask and particularly along the margins of the nose-receiving portion thereof an inwardly turned feather-edged flap, in combination with said arms and fingers so that when the mask is worn said flap will be forced against the sides of the nose at the points of juncture with the adjacent parts of the face.

The ,full objects and advantages of my invention will appear hereinafter in the description thereof in the following specification, and the features of novelty by which the advantageous results above outlined are secured will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing illustrating an application of my invention in one of its forms:

Fig. 1 is a semi-perspective plan view showing the position of the parts as they would be when applied to a face. I

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view looking di.

rectly down upon the mask body.

Fig; 3 is a similar view of the spring metal member shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as imbedded in the material of which the mask is composed. Fig. 4 is a view of a part of the mask embody ing my improvement looking toward the edge of the nose-receiving part thereof and showing the position of the parts before the mask has been applied to a wearer's face.

Fig. 5 is a reverse part sectional view of the nose-receiving portion of the mask as it will appear when worn.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the spring metal member adapted to be attached to the nosereceiving part of the mask.

' Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation view taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

As illustrated, any type of mask II, which has by my improved spring means which I will now describe.

As shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 6, this spring means, which may be formed of piano wire or other suitable spring metal, is provided with an archedportion l5 which goes directly over and is secured to the nose-receiving portion of the mask in a position to extend transversely about and toward the end of the nose when the mask is worn. At the comers Ii and ll of this arched portion a pair of spring arms I I and I! extend along the sides and close to the margins, the face contacting portions of the mask having an inward curve as indicated at of Fig. 3. At the ends of the spring arms l8 and I! are pressure fingers 2| and 21 formed of the wire bent back upon itself and having a shape, as shown in Figs. 6 and '7.

Although it is within the scope of my invention and intended by me to secure the spring member l5, l6, II, II, l8, II and 22 to the nosereceiving portion of the mask either outside or inside of it by any suitable securing means, I have found it convenient and preferable to secure it by means of casting it directly into the body of rubber or other material of which the mask is composed. As best shown at 23 of Fig. 7, also as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5, the parts of the spring member protruding the mask material in which it is encased are designated II, l6, l1, l8, l9, 2| and 22' it being understood that the parts of the spring member 'designated by the corresponding unprimednumbers are present within the body of mask material as shown and designated.

The advantages of my invention will be apparent from the foregoing description. Fundamentally the improvement above deflned pro-,

duces effective and certain sealing of the breathing chamberat the one point where such sealing, particularly with masks made of vulcanized rubber, has been not only diflicult but often impossible of accomplishment. The metal clamping device is so incorporated with the organization of the mask body itself that it does not detract from the appearance of the mask body, has no parts exposed or in position to interfere with the use of the mask, whatever form of mask is employed, and finally is always dependable and certain to perform of it.

I claim: 7

1. In a mask structure having a nose-enclosing portion, a spring member providedwith an arch portion secured to said nose-enclosing portion in a position to extend transversely about and toward the end of the nose when the mask is worn, and having spring arms connected with the .ends of said arch and extending toward the margins of the nose-enclosing portion, and an angularly disposed finger portion on the end of each arm, the arms and finger portions acting to cause the mask body to seat against the sides of the nose at the junction thereof with adjacent face portions.

2. In a mask structure having a nose-enclosing portion, spring means secured to said nose-enclosing portion in a position to extend transversely about and toward the end of the nose when the mask is worn, said spring means including spring arms extending towards each other along the sides of said nose-enclosing portion and having their ends at points close to the nose-contacting edge of the mask, all parts of said spring means being held in position .by being embedded in the body of said nose-enclosing portion.

ARTHUR H. BULBULIAN.

the scaling function intended 

